


there's magic in our bones

by shxrogane (minsazucar)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Post-Canon, Romance, Shance Fluff Week 2017, cheesy pickup lines, some of these are so sappy...im deceased im so bad at sappy romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-08 20:22:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11089227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minsazucar/pseuds/shxrogane
Summary: prompt fills for shance fluff week 2017!Day 1 - Black/BlueDay 2 - Sea/StarsDay 3 - Home/FamilyDay 4 - First/LastDay 5 - Cuddles/HugsDay 6 - Magic/TechDay 7 - Past/FutureDay 8 - Free Day





	1. day 1: blue/black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which cats are the best wingmen after all

“Blue! Blue come back! I promise, I’ll never bathe you again.” Lance called out miserably as he circled the alley behind his apartment for the third time.

He paused and took a deep breath, glancing up the fire escape he climbed down. Nope, Blue still wasn’t back, perched haughtily outside his window. It had been almost an hour and Lance was getting worried. This happened _at least_ once a week, but Blue usually came back by now. He must’ve really pissed her off with the threat of a bath for her to be gone this long.

Why did he have to adopt the cat at the shelter with runaway syndrome? 

“Hey, Lance?” A vaguely familiar called from above and Lance looked up.

There on the third floor, leaning out of a window just slightly, was Lance’s neighbor. Not just any neighbor though, Lance’s extremely attractive, secret-crush neighbor, Shiro. The man smiled after getting Lance’s attention and shifted his torso.

“Is this your cat?”

There, in those beautiful muscular arms, was Blue, looking like she was on cloud nine. Lance didn’t blame her. He would gladly trade places with his cat if it meant getting cradled by a beautiful man. Lance shook his head to dispel the thoughts and put on his brightest smile.

“Yes! Yes, thank you. I’ve been looking for her forever.” He called up, honestly relieved to see his cat was safe.

“Come on up, I’ll return her safely.” Shiro chuckled and waved him over.

“Yup, sure, be right there!” 

Lance, maybe a bit too enthusiastically, bolted up the fire escape, climbing the ladder like a pro. Which, he kinda was a pro, considering how many times he climbed the metal rails to retrieve his cat. He reached the third floor in record time and hesitated outside Shiro’s window. The man was looking at him in a mix of confusion and amusement and Lance felt his face go red. Oh, maybe he hadn’t meant ‘hey Lance climb up the fire escape to my window’ and instead meant ‘hey Lance, go through the lobby like a normal person and knock on my door.’

Shiro, bless his beautiful muscular soul, just chuckled incredulously and stepped back to let Lance in. Lance climbed in through the window, landing nimbly on his feet, and gave Shiro a flustered smile. A high pitched meow from his cat served as the perfect distraction, focus shifting from his awkward entrance to the bundle of gray fur in Shiro’s arms.

“Thanks for finding Blue.” He smiled as he took the cat from Shiro. “She runs away a lot, but never for that long. I was getting worried.” 

“I think she was getting friendly with my cat.” Shiro chuckled, before tilting his head curiously. “Her name is Blue?”

Lance felt his face flush again and he cleared his throat.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s a silly name for a cat. My friends made fun of me forever. But with those pretty baby blue eyes, how could I resist?” Lance smiled, looking down at Blue fondly.

“Oh, no, I like it. Good name.” Shiro rushed out, seemingly flustered. “Uh, I mean, I named my cat Black so I can’t really judge.”

“Black? Let me guess…”

Lance smiled slyly and glanced around the apartment. Like magic, Shiro’s cat chose that exact moment to strut by, smooth black fur shining in the light. Lance looked back up and noticed Shiro was blushing a bit. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

Blue chose that moment to mewl and wrestle out of Lance’s arms. She landed gracefully and pranced over to Black, following the big black cat up a scratching post he had in the living room. Lance watched them with a bemused smile, snorting as Blue pawed at Black, trying to gain the cat’s attention it seemed.

“That’s so weird, they’re so friendly with each other.”

“It doesn’t look like it’s the first time they’ve met.” Shiro agreed with a smile in his voice.

“Blue, is this where you’ve been running away to?” Lance scolded playfully, before turning and giving Shiro an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I think my cat has been breaking into your apartment.”

Shiro shook his head and smiled. “It’s fine, I don’t mind. It’s nice to think someone’s keeping Black company while I work.”

“I’m curious, where’d you get Black?” Lance wondered as he watched the cats play.

“At the shelter on McKinley.” Shiro replied, also turning to watch the cats.

“Altea Animal Rescue?” Lance asked, surprised.

“Yeah, you know it?” Shiro turned to look at him quizzically. 

“It’s where I got Blue. You don’t think…” Lance trailed off, a slow smile growing as he glanced back at the cats.

“Long lost friends from their shelter days?” Shiro asked with a matching smile.

“How awesome would that be?” Lance laughed.

“Pretty awesome.” Shiro agreed.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they watched the cats chase each other about, but it didn’t last long. Lance was starting to grow a bit antsy, not wanting to annoy his neighbor, especially since this is the longest they’ve ever been alone together. Lance did his best to be friendly every time he saw Shiro in the halls or in the lobby, and any conversation was polite and lasted barely a few minutes. 

But, maybe this was a bit of progress? Well, technically they were bonding over their cats, so maybe he could consider Shiro a tentative friend instead of hot neighbor? That would be nice. Lance would really like to stay on Shiro’s good side, so he sighed a bit before turning to announce his leave.

“Anyways, I should go--”

“Would you like to stay--”

They both spoke at the same time, and Lance cut himself off with a shocked expression. Shiro ducked his head a bit and laughed awkwardly, which Lance found _way too cute_. The taller man cleared his throat and spoke up again.

“If you’re not busy, would you like to stay a while? The cats can bond and I would like to get to know you better.”

Shiro’s smile was so soft, Lance had to stop himself from staring. He started to nod but paused, knowing from experience it was best to clear the air, get the right picture off the bat and whatnot. 

“Okay, _yes_ , but first I gotta know. Is this like, friendly dude-bro invitation, or like are you kind of flirting with me invitation?”

This time, it’s Shiro’s face that flushed a bright pink, and he stuttered a bit before replying.

“I, uh, both? If it makes you uncomfortable, then just the first one.” He offered and Lance smiled, leaning into his space a bit more.

“Nope, no, flirting is cool, I am totally down for flirting.”

“Oh, okay. Good to know.” 

“Yup.”

They stared at each other maybe a bit too long before Shiro stepped back, heading to the kitchen. The tips of his ears were still a bright red and Lance couldn’t stop smiling.

“I have tea, would you like some tea?”

“That would be great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who doesn't love cliches? 
> 
> anyways, I'll be updating (almost) daily to match the different days, but i'm not actually _done_ with all the prompts yet so.....yeah lol i'll try my best
> 
> hmu on tumblr @fratboyshiro ;---)


	2. day 2: sea/stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> where it's possible to swim in a sea of stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka....the cliché-est of clichés....

After team Voltron had freed another small star system from the clutches of the Galra, the next step was obviously one of diplomacy. There were three populated planets that they’d have to visit, so for the sake of efficiency, it was decided that they’d all split up and try their hand at negotiations. In that sense, it was almost like Allura was testing their abilities as paladins to negotiate.

Shiro had been sent to the desert planet, Xiantho, along with Keith. Pidge, Hunk and Coran tackled the tech metropolis of Xikanthu. And Allura had volunteered to take Lance to Xilintha, a world covered almost completely in water. Perhaps it’s because of the partnership of Lance and Allura that Xilintha was the first to sign treaty papers, urging the other two worlds to follow suit.

Allura, obviously, was well-trained in the art of diplomacy. But the team had recently learned that Lance had a natural magnetism that could prove beneficial in forming alliances. The blue paladin still had a _long_ ways to go in honing any sort of diplomatic potential he had; but considering how fast the planet had agreed to an alliance, Lance had no doubt been an asset rather than a hindrance this time around.

The rest of the team had been recalled from their positions on the neighboring planets, so as to make matters more “official” and whatnot. There was still much about politics that Shiro found contrite, but he conceded every time to the Princess’s experience on the matter. Besides, he wasn’t actually complaining about regrouping to stay in the royal court. After spending two days on the desert planet, Shiro had been more than delighted for the change of scenery. 

The planet really was beautiful. The capital city looked like something out of a fairytale, like the lost city of Atlantis, glittering among the crystal blue waves that covered much of the planet. But maybe the most stunning part of the planet was how Lance looked on it. In the few days they’d been apart, Lance’s disposition had changed so much. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why; Lance was always talking about how he missed the oceans back on Earth. The days spent on this ocean planet seemed to have rejuvenated him.

The blue paladin was practically glowing with energy.

It took everything in Shiro not to gawk at the boy when they first landed and were greeted by their two teammates. In their time on planet, Lance and Allura had traded their normal clothing for garments belonging to the local culture. They’d been draped in airy blue and white silks, adorned with gold bands that glittered in the light. Allura, of course, looked regal as always, naturally fitting into the royal costumes. Lance on the other hand… Shiro had never seen Lance look quite like that.

It suited him. It really, _really_ suited him.

He didn’t get a chance to tell him so until much later. Shiro endured several hours of maybe the hardest trial of his life: keeping his composure in the face of Lance’s radiance. They’d been dating now for a couple months, and team Voltron would argue they were still in their honeymoon phase, but Shiro doubted his adoration for Lance would diminish any time soon.  


At long last, their day came to a close and all the paladins were shown to their private quarters. The minute the hallway was clear, Shiro slipped out of his room and made a beeline for Lance’s. The door was unlocked, because of course Lance had been expecting him, and he slipped in easily. The room itself was empty but Shiro noticed the curtains billowing gently in the breeze. He smiled and moved forward, pushing the curtains aside and finding Lance perched on the balcony railing.

At the sound of his footsteps, Lance turned around and smiled softly, opening his arms in invitation. Shiro quickly moved forward to fill them. He let his hands settle on Lance’s waist, while tan arms reached up to wrap around Shiro’s neck. Lance was still wearing the sky blue silks from earlier and Shiro couldn’t help rubbing his hands over the soft texture. Lance just smiled and looked up with a glimmer in his deep blue eyes.

“Hey, I missed you.” Lance whispered in the short space between their lips.

“Lance, do you know how beautiful you are?” Shiro breathed, aiming to close the gap between them.

But Lance pulled back with a snort, a fond glint in his eyes. Shiro fought not to pout. 

“I have an idea. You’re not real subtle with the staring, Shiro.” He teased and Shiro sighed, bumping their foreheads together with a soft smile.

“Just kiss me already.”

Lance laughed into their kiss and Shiro happily swallowed the sound. Shiro could taste his smile as they kissed, a soft meeting of lips, and he could taste something else. Lance tasted like the sea, like salt water and soft breezes and sunshine. Shiro always found Lance’s taste to be addicting, but this was something else. He couldn’t seem to get enough.

Before Shiro could deepen the kiss how he truly wanted, Lance was pulling back again. Shir couldn’t keep himself from groaning, trying to chase his lips. Lance just laughed breathily, moving his hands to push against Shiro’s chest. 

“Let’s go swimming.” He announced suddenly, pulling further out of Shiro’s hold.

“What.” Shiro blinked down at Lance, still a bit dazed as the boy hopped up to sit on the railing.

He made such a pretty picture, silks and tan skin bathed in moonlight, the gentle crashing of waves the perfect background noise. It took a lot of self-restraint not to push forward, to slot himself between slim legs and pick up the kiss where they left off. But the look on Lance’s face gave him pause, made him wait and listen to what the boy had to say.

“Swimming, Shiro. Let’s go swimming. There’s bioluminescent ocean pools below us. I went there with Allura the first night we were here, and I’ve been _dying_ to show them to you.” 

Lance looked so excited, how could he possibly say no?

“Alright, lead the way.” Shiro smiled and held out his hand, which Lance grabbed before jumping down in glee.

He practically dragged Shiro through the halls, giggling whenever he’d stop to steal a quick kiss before continuing. Shiro was just happy to be along for the ride. Lance led him down another hall and out a door, into the cool night air. They descended a stone staircase and finally stumbled upon the ocean pools Lance had talked about.

Shiro paused at the edge of the final step, watching as Lance practically skipped towards the water. Honestly, it was breathtaking. The shallows of the water glowed a soft mint green, the result of some alien algae that lined the rocky shore. Lance bunched up the silk robes and his feet hit the water, smiling as the gentle waves lapped at his feet. He walked across the shore, ready to join Lance in his frolicking, kicking off his boots as he went.

Lance turned around and shot him a bright smile, reaching out a hand for Shiro to take. He took it and stepped into the water, humming pleasantly at the almost warm temperature. Then Lance started wading further into the water and Shiro hesitated.

“I didn’t bring a swimsuit.” Shiro admitted with a start. 

He looked to Lance with wide eyes, thinking they’d have to trek all the way back to their rooms. But Lance just smiled back at him coyly.

“Neither did I.”

Oh. _Oh._

“Lance, I don’t know if this is a good idea…”

Shiro trailed off as Lance slowly slid out of the silk robes and draped them over a rock, wading deeper into the shallow pools. Shiro felt frozen in place, enraptured in the way the glowing pools reflected on Lance’s skin. Once he was waist deep, Lance turned back around and sent Shiro the brightest smile.

“Come on in Shiro, the water’s perfect.”

Fuck it. 

Shiro quickly stripped out of his pants and shirt, blushing deeply before also removing his boxers at Lance’s request. He didn’t hesitate to wade into the water, eager to cover his exposed body as much as possible. Lance was waiting for him, floating above the glowing waves with a soft smile. He swam forward and placed a quick kiss on Shiro’s lips before taking off, swimming further away from shore. 

Shiro followed with a huff, struggling to keep up. Lance was a natural in the water, something he only vaguely knew from the two times they went swimming on the ship (it was a pain to calibrate the gravity just right so they could use the Altean pools). But Lance kept swimming and Shiro kept following, deeper and deeper into the ocean. Until the glow from the bioluminescent algae grew dimmer, replaced instead by a glow from above. 

Lance led them all the way to another small alcove, where he finally stopped, half-propped up on a boulder. Shiro caught up just a few moments later, panting a bit from exertion. But his fatigue was momentarily forgotten as he took in the breathtaking sight before him. The water in this area was so dark it reflected the light from the sky, bathing the two paladins in starlight. Lance smiled at Shiro’s awestruck expression and scooted along the boulder a bit, drawing closer.

“So, yes or yes, is this the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” Lance whispered, hands trailing up over Shiro’s chest, making his breath stutter. He made sure he was looking straight at Lance when he replied.

“Absolutely it is.”

And finally, _finally_ , Shiro got the kiss he’d been craving, the type that took his breath away and made his toes curl in pleasure. The saltwater that stained their lips only drove him on, desperate to chase the taste of Lance’s mouth. They got lost like that, floating in a foreign ocean, with only the stars as their witness that night.

And when they both showed up for the treaty meetings the following morning, no one dared to ask why they both had colds. They could very well guess by now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEEET i rlly dont like writing such sappy romance im dying inside tbh
> 
> also....no one will notice but i used the same setting as in my allurance fic bc....i designed this entire ocean world and culture and i'll use it as many times as possible
> 
> that's day 2 folks!! (im crying bc i only have up until day 3 totally written now im rushing to finish lmao)


	3. day 3: home/family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's been a long time coming, but the paladins can finally go home...

“Listen Shiro, they’re going to _love you_.” Lance assured for the tenth time since landing.

“I don’t know about this Lance, I still think you should go alone first--” Shiro tried reasoning again, only to be cut off when Lance suddenly stopped and turned to face him with a scowl.

“Hey hey hey! We had this fight already, I won, end of story. You’re coming with me or so help me _God_ \--”

“Okay, okay, sorry. Lead the way then.” Shiro placated, letting Lance take the lead again.

They’d been together long enough for Shiro to know when to back down from a fight. Months of mutual pining that turned into weeks of awkward dating, which turned into almost a year of partnership. And Shiro wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s no one else he’d rather have by his side as they endeavored to save the universe.

It’s been two years since the war started, since the five Earthlings had found their destiny as paladins of Voltron. Two long, long years of fighting, and still the war was far from over. But things had stabilized enough in recent months to afford them this one thing. To allow the paladins a short trip to Earth, a trip which previously would have put their whole solar system in danger. But it was finally possible, they could finally go home, if just for a short while. Just enough time to see their families, to explain where they’d been; to show that they weren’t dead or missing or whatever else the Garrison might have come up with.

Shiro himself didn’t have any living relatives to visit. When he joined the Garrison and met Keith, they became something like family for a while. Then it was the Holts, as they grew closer during training and the actual mission to Kerberos. Now, Shiro had a new family, one that combined pieces from his old life with new ones. The paladins, the princess, Coran… they were all his family now, and it was more than he ever could’ve asked for.

But the other paladins did have families. Lance had a family, one he never stopped talking about, a family he made himself sick with grief and worry over. Hopefully, this visit could give the blue paladin a sense of peace, some form of closure, before they had to leave again. Leave to fight in a war which may not even end in their lifetime.

“Hey now, no thinking sad thoughts babe.” Lance called out softly, startling him out of his negative headspace.

“Sorry.” He breathed with a small smile, tightening his hold on Lance’s hand.

Lance just smiled softly and moved towards him, reaching up to place a chaste kiss on his lips. Shiro leaned forward to chase his lips, succeeding in deepening their kiss for just a few moments, before Lance broke off with a laugh. He led them down another street until they reached the edge of town, taking another turn onto what was more of a dirt road. It led them away from the tourist-heavy parts of the Cuban town, but the view of the clear beaches was even better out this way. Shiro had never seen anything quite like it. Now he knew why Lance spent so much time gushing about the ocean.

A part of him was glad that Lance had been so pushy, that he’d been so insistent on Shiro coming with him. It was the part of him that acknowledged how beautiful this island was, how amazing it was that he got to see where Lance grew up. That part was usually outweighed by the part of him squirming with anxiety. Because he was about to meet Lance’s family, formally, for the first time, as his _fiance_. 

And the story behind that? That was a tale for a different time. What mattered now was that they were here, together, the blue stone on Lance’s ring glittering clearly in the sunlight. Shiro spared a look at his own hand, where a matching silver band rested on his ring finger. It had been there for months and Shiro only prayed it would stay there forever.

and how that happened? well that was a whole other epic tale, of battlefield confessions and desperate proposals. but the point was, they’d been “engaged” for a few months now, and lance was eager to make this known to his family.

“I see it, oh my God, Shiro, I see it.” Lance cried out, excited and teary eyed.

He couldn’t help but chuckle as Lance took off, hopping over the short fence surrounding the front yard. Shiro followed quickly behind, but slow enough to give Lance the opportunity to greet his family before he got there. But Lance just patiently waited on the front porch, sending Shiro a pleading look. He sighed and jogged the rest of the way over.

They both stood in front of the house, not even a foot away from the door, and a weighted silence hung over them. Shiro watched as the smile slipped from Lance’s face, something brewing in those deep blue eyes. He was summoning the courage to knock, it seemed. Shiro frowned, eyes trailing down and taking in how Lance’s hands were shaking. His whole body was trembling, now that he looked closely.

Shiro took a deep breath and stepped forward, pressing himself against Lance’s back. He wrapped a steadying arm around Lance’s waist, twining the fingers of his human hand with Lance’s shaking one. Slowly but surely, Lance calmed down, squeezing Shiro’s hand as he raised the other, knocking solidly on the wooden door.

Quite a bit of noise could be heard from inside, the thump of footsteps and shouts that Shiro couldn’t understand. Shiro could feel Lance’s breath hitch as the voices got louder, clearer. Although he still couldn’t understand the words, he could detect tones of frustration, even anger. He thought he might’ve heard the word “garrison” somewhere in there, but he didn’t want to think about what that might mean.

“Que quieres ya--” The door was wrenched open to reveal a short woman with curly hair.

Her tempered words were cut short as she laid eyes on who exactly occupied her doorstep. She stared at Lance, eyes wide, and all the color drained from her face. She looked like she’d seen a ghost. It pained Shiro to realize that perhaps that’s what they looked like; like a ghost from the past, not done haunting the hearts of the living.

He felt Lance take in a deep breath a moment before he stepped forward, drawing closer to the dumbstruck woman. Shiro watched Lance reach out a shaky hand, lightly taking hold of the woman’s limp hand. Then Lance smiled, smiled _wide_ , even as tears began to roll down his cheeks. He let out a watery laugh and finally greeted the woman, whose eyes were also beginning to water.

“Hola mami. I’m home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> euhuehgh ok i think this might be the last part i do in shiro's POV bc....he's too sappy it's emotionally draining to write for shiro TBH im gonna stick to light-hearted lance POV fics for the rest of the week....hopefully....
> 
> i know im evil for not actually writing the family reunion but i like my cliffhanger muahaha  
> (in my mind, some garrison official had been to the home right before lance and shiro got there, which is why mama answered the door so aggressively lol)
> 
> hmu on tumblr @fratboyshiro ;---)


	4. day 4: first/last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance flirts with his TA all the time. This is the _first_ time he's ever flirted back...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for alcohol consumption //

It was the first Saturday night after midterms and just about 90% of the college age population could be found in various clubs and bars downtown. Lance and his friends were definitely part of that 90%. Lance was usually fine in whatever club they hit, but Keith felt most comfortable at gay bars (even if the dude never explicitly said so, Lance wasn’t blind); and it wasn’t like Lance or Hunk minded. He would even argue that gay clubs were more fun, plus they _doubled_ his options for dance partners, so it was a win-win.

An hour and maybe three-too-many body shots later, Lance was nurturing a healthy buzz, taking turns dragging Hunk and Keith to the dance floor. Honestly, what would those two do without him? Probably sit in a booth and sip well drinks all night. _Boring_. Somewhere between grinding on Hunk and wrestling Keith’s arms around his waist, he saw him. There, sitting alone at the bar, was none other than Takashi Shirogane, and Lance felt his lips curl into a wicked smile. What were the chances of running into him here?

“Look, look! It’s my hot TA.” He practically shouted into Keith’s ear to be heard over the music.

Keith pushed his face back with a frown, scanning the bar. He sighed as he spotted Shiro, looking back at Lance warily. “Just leave him alone dude.”

“Aw come on. He knows I’m only playing.” Lance twisted himself free from being sandwiched between his two friends, eyes set on the bar.

“Lance,” Hunk groaned but he was already long gone, weaving his way expertly through the crowd.

His friends just didn’t understand. Him and Shiro were cool, alright? Cooler than cool. Ice cold. Lance giggled to himself, okay he was a little tipsier than he thought, but it was fine! Shiro was an awesome dude, a senior in the aeronautics program, who served as a part-time TA in Lance’s cosmology class. That’s how they’d met, how they’d become friends.

Well, Lance thought they were friends. It was a beautiful, awkward friendship, built on Lance dropping increasingly bad pickup lines and Shiro laughing politely every time. And maybe there was only a _little_ bit of gay feelings on Lance’s part. But that was besides the point, because now he was at the bar, sneaking up behind Shiro; he had the perfect pickup line, had found it on Google last week, and the bar was the _only_ place to use it.

“Wow, you’re like a comet.”

Shiro’s head snapped up at the words, eyes narrowed as he searched for the source. He looked downright pissed for a quick minute before he noticed Lance sitting next to him. His posture relaxed but his eyes were confused, and Lance took that as his cue to continued.

“Because, you’re a once in a lifetime experience, and I’m so glad I didn’t miss it.” Lance drawled, donning his best playful smile. “Can I buy you a drink?”

At this point, Shiro would usually chuckle and roll his eyes, so Lance was a little thrown off when that didn’t happen. Instead, Shiro seemed to be considering his words, lips twitching into a sly smile.

“Sure, Lance.” He replied softly and Lance blinked in shock.

“Wait, what? Seriously?” He sputtered, not quite sure this was happening.

“Seriously.” Shiro repeated, smile turning sharper than Lance had ever seen it.

Lance was straight up dumbstruck at this point. This was _not_ supposed to happen. Shiro, his hot, nice, goofy TA was definitely not supposed to accept his offers, _ever_. Because Lance might actually, truly have some very real feelings for this dude, and the only reason he showered Shiro in pickup lines was because he knew he’d never reciprocate. Well, he _thought_ he’d never reciprocate. And really, there was only one course of action now, which was: go with the flow my dude.

“O-okay. Get whatever you like, I’ll pay.” Lance smiled nervously, digging out his wallet. 

“Thanks.” Shiro drawled with a crooked smile, motioning over the bartender.

After Shiro ordered his drink, Lance handed over his credit card, asking to keep a tab open. Which ended up being a good call, because Shiro’s drink of choice just ended up being shots of tequila. Lance watched the man down his shot like a pro, using lime as a chaser almost like an afterthought. The look Shiro gave him after had Lance immediately flagging down the bartender again, ordering another round of shots.

The tequila burned on the way down, but Lance appreciated the discomfort; it was grounding, since he very much felt like he was having an out of body experience. He looked away as Shiro took another shot and found Hunk and Keith, sitting at a booth a short distance away. They were watching him with matching shocked expressions and, wow, okay, so this was really happening. It wasn’t just a figment of Lance’s imagination. Cool.

He looked back at Shiro, who was watching him curiously now, sucking on another lime. Lance swallowed thickly, and faced the man head on.

Well, fake it ‘till you make it, right?

Lance forced himself to loosen up and with a smile that was total bravado, he did what he did best. He began to talk Shiro’s ear off, with stories ranging from his earlier midterms to childhood stories. He chatted away like he would with any new stranger or casual friend, and tried desperately not to overthink the fact that this wasn’t just another person. This was someone he very much liked and respected and kinda didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of. But Shiro seemed genuinely interested by whatever Lance was rambling about, nodding along with a soft smile, laughing at all the right parts.

Okay...good, this was good, right? Shiro looked like he was having a good time and Lance felt a little surge of pride. Even if Lance was gonna mourn his credit card balance come morning, it was so worth it. Like hell was Lance gonna tell Shiro to slow down. It was almost fascinating, watching how much Shiro could drink before his face was flushed a soft pink.

Eventually, there was a lull in conversation, and only then did Lance notice how _close_ they were. They must’ve gradually inched closer over the course of the night, trying to talk over the deep thrum of the base. Lance was close enough to spot the light stubble on Shiro’s chin, and oh god, he could smell the tequila and lime on Shiro’s breath. Normally, that wouldn’t be hot, but Lance had learned by now that Shiro could make just about anything hot.

“Hey, Lance.” Shiro murmured, barely audible over the music.

Lance perked up and leaned in, but was stopped by Shiro’s hand on his cheek. He tried very, _very_ hard not to pass out as Shiro held his face still and looked deep into his eyes. He couldn’t breathe, his heart was gonna stop beating any moment. This is it, this is how he dies. It definitely wasn’t the worst way to go. Lance felt like they sat like that for an eternity, Shiro searching his eyes for who-knows-what.

Finally, Shiro dropped his hand and Lance took a deep breath. Then Shiro hummed and smiled, leaning forward to speak straight into Lance’s ear.

“Who took the stars out of the sky and put them in your eyes?”

The words went straight to Lance’s gut, settling heavy and hot. Shiro pulled back with a bright smile, face redder than before, looking way too self-satisfied. Lance couldn’t help the whine that crawled up his throat as he buried his face in his arms. He heard Shiro chuckle, a deep throaty sound, and Lance felt warm all over again. The world began to spin and Lance sat up with a start. Wow, okay, he was definitely tipsier than usual.

“Do you wanna dance with me?” Lance asked Shiro, which wiped the smile off his face. Lance carried on explaining, suddenly self-conscious. “I drank too much, I need to dance it off or I’m gonna _really_ regret it later.”

“Yeah, actually, that’s a good idea.” Shiro nodded, face red, and he stood up.

He wobbled a bit on his feet which made Lance a little less embarrassed when he followed and almost fell over. Shiro caught him though, smile almost shy now, and Lance recovered enough to drag him to the dance floor. Shiro’s hands were big and warm and felt _really_ good latched to his hips as they danced the night away.

 

In another corner of the bar, Hunk sipped his fruity cocktail and turned to Keith with a smug smile.

“You owe me ten bucks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was my fave to write so far i like tipsy lance. i just generally like lance's POV. he's a fun character to write for.
> 
> i definitely have 3 webpages of space-themed pick up lines in my bookmarks. that comet one was so awkward and long winded i was like "i have to use it i just need to use it somewhere"
> 
> hmu on tumblr @ fratboyshiro


End file.
